Amphiphilic Single-Chain Polymer Nanoparticles as Imaging and Far-Red Photokilling Agents for Photodynamic Therapy in Zebrafish Embryo Xenografts.

This work introduces rationally designed, improved amphiphilic single-chain polymer nanoparticles (SCNPs) for imaging and photodynamic therapy (PDT) in zebrafish embryo xenografts. SCNPs are ultrasmall polymeric nanoparticles with sizes similar to proteins, making them ideal for biomedical applications. Amphiphilic SCNPs result from the self-assembly in water of isolated synthetic polymeric chains through intrachain hydrophobic interactions, mimicking natural biomacromolecules and, specially, proteins (in size and when loaded with drugs, metal ions or fluorophores also in function). These ultrasmall, soft nanoparticles have various applications, including catalysis, sensing, and nanomedicine. Initial in vitro experiments with nonfunctionalized, amphiphilic SCNPs loaded with a photosensitizing Zn phthalocyanine with four nonperipheral isobutylthio substituents, ZnPc, showed promise for PDT. Herein, the preparation of improved, amphiphilic SCNPs containing ZnPc as highly efficient photosensitizer encapsulated within the nanoparticle and surrounded by anthracene units is disclosed. The amount of anthracene groups and ZnPc molecules within each single-chain nanoparticle controls the imaging and PDT properties of these nanocarriers. Critically, this work opens the way to improved PDT applications based on amphiphilic SCNPs as a first step toward ideal, long-term artificial photo-oxidases (APO).

Nanoencapsulation of a Far-Red Absorbing Phthalocyanine into Poly(benzylmalate) Biopolymers and Modulation of Their Photodynamic Efficiency.

Two different poly(benzylmalate) biopolymers, a hydrophobic non-PEGylated (PMLABe73) and an amphiphilic PEGylated derivative (PEG42-b-PMLABe73), have been used to encapsulate a phthalocyanine chosen for its substitution pattern that is highly suitable for photodynamic therapy. Different phthalocyanine/(co)polymers ratios have been used for the nanoprecipitation. A set of six nanoparticles has been obtained. If the amphiphilic PEGylated copolymer proved to be slightly more efficient for the encapsulation and to lower the aggregation of the phthalocyanine inside the nanoparticles, it is, however, the hydrophobic PMLABe73-based nanoparticles that exhibited the best photodynamic efficiency.

Perspectives in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections with active photodynamic partners within the framework of the EURESTOP COST Action (CA21145).

The European Network for diagnosis and treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections-EURESTOP COST Action CA21145 focuses on tackling the burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and has gathered many members working on photodynamic approaches. This European consortium is presented here in the One Health context, to highlight the potential of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) in the fight against AMR.

Quantum-Classical Protocol for Efficient Characterization of Absorption Lineshape and Fluorescence Quenching upon Aggregation: The Case of Zinc Phthalocyanine Dyes.

A quantum-classical protocol that incorporates Jahn-Teller vibronic coupling effects and cluster analysis of molecular dynamics simulations is reported, providing a tool for simulations of absorption spectra and ultrafast nonadiabatic dynamics in large molecular photosystems undergoing aggregation in solution. Employing zinc phthalocyanine dyes as target systems, we demonstrated that the proposed protocol provided fundamental information on vibronic, electronic couplings and thermal dynamical effects that mostly contribute to the absorption spectra lineshape and the fluorescence quenching processes upon dye aggregation. Decomposing the various effects arising upon dimer formation, the structure-property relations associated with their optical responses have been deciphered at atomistic resolution.

Comparing PVP and Polymeric Micellar Formulations of a PEGylated Photosensitizing Phthalocyanine by NMR and Optical Techniques.

Phthalocyanines are ideal candidates as photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer due to their favorable chemical and photophysical properties. However, their tendency to form aggregates in water reduces PDT efficacy and poses challenges in obtaining efficient forms of phthalocyanines for therapeutic applications. In the current work, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and micellar formulations were compared for encapsulating and monomerizing a water-soluble zinc phthalocyanine bearing four non-peripheral triethylene glycol chains (Pc1). 1H NMR spectroscopy combined with UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that Pc1 exists as a mixture of regioisomers in monomeric form in dimethyl sulfoxide but forms dimers in an aqueous buffer. PVP, polyethylene glycol castor oil (Kolliphor RH40), and three different triblock copolymers with varying proportions of polyethylene and polypropylene glycol units (termed P188, P84, and F127) were tested as micellar carriers for Pc1. 1H NMR chemical shift analysis, diffusion-ordered spectroscopy, and 2D nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy was applied to monitor the encapsulation and localization of Pc1 at the polymer interface. Kolliphor RH40 and F127 micelles exhibited the highest affinity for encapsulating Pc1 in the micellar core and resulted in intense Pc1 fluorescence emission as well as efficient singlet oxygen formation along with PVP. Among the triblock copolymers, efficiency in binding and dimer dissolution decreased in the order F127 > P84 > P188. PVP was a strong binder for Pc1. However, Pc1 molecules are rather surface-attached and exist as monomer and dimer mixtures. The results demonstrate that NMR combined with optical spectroscopy offer powerful tools to assess parameters like drug binding, localization sites, and dynamic properties that play key roles in achieving high host-guest compatibility. With the corresponding adjustments, polymeric micelles can offer simple and easily accessible drug delivery systems optimizing phthalocyanines' properties as efficient photosensitizers.

Introduction to the RSC Advances Emerging Investigators Series 2022.

Dr Fabienne Dumoulin and Professor Shirley Nakagaki are delighted to introduce the RSC Advances Emerging Investigators Series, which highlights some of the very best work of early career researchers.

Phthalocyanines prepared from 4,5-dihexylthiophthalonitrile, a popular building block.

Phthalocyanines are tetrapyrrolic artificial porphyrinoids that play major roles in advanced biological and technological applications. Research on this family of dyes is particularly active in Türkiye, with many derivatives being prepared from 4,5-dihexylthiophthalonitrile DiSHexPN, which is one of the most popular noncommercially available building blocks for phthalocyanines. This review summarizes the phthalocyanines and their versatile properties and applications that have been published since 1994, when the synthesis of DiSHexPN was first described, to emphasize the importance of this building block in plentiful applications, all with biomedical or technological impact.

Far-red triplet sensitized Z-to-E photoswitching of azobenzene in bioplastics.

We report the first example of direct far-red triplet sensitized molecular photoswitching in a condensed phase wherein a liquid azobenzene derivative (Azo1) co-assembled within a liquid surfactant-protein film undergoes triplet sensitized Z-to-E photoswitching upon far-red/red light excitation in air. The role of triplet sensitization in photoswitching has been confirmed by quenching of sensitizer phosphorescence by Z-Azo1 and temperature-dependent photoswitching experiments. Herein, we demonstrate new biosustainable fabrication designs to address key challenges in solid-state photoswitching, effectively mitigating chromophore aggregation and requirement of high energy excitations by dispersing the photoswitch in the trapped liquid inside the solid framework and by shifting the action spectrum from blue-green light (450-560 nm) to the far-red/red light (740/640 nm) region.

Nanoscaled PAMAM Dendrimer Spacer Improved the Photothermal-Photodynamic Treatment Efficiency of Photosensitizer-Decorated Confeito-Like Gold Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy.

A critical factor in developing an efficient photosensitizer-gold nanoparticle (PS-AuNP) hybrid system with improved plasmonic photosensitization is to allocate a suitable space between AuNPs and PS. Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer is selected as a spacer between the PS and confeito-like gold nanoparticles (confeito-AuNPs), providing the required distance (≈2.5-22.5 nm) for plasmon-enhanced singlet oxygen generation and heat production upon 638-nm laser irradiation and increase the cellular internalization of the nanoconjugates. The loading of the PS, tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (TCPP), and modified zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc1) onto PAMAM-confeito-AuNPs demonstrate better in vitro cancer cell-killing efficacy, as the combined photothermal-photodynamic therapies (PTT-PDTs) outperforms the single treatment modalities (PTT or PDT alone). These PS-PAMAM-confeito-AuNPs also demonstrate higher phototoxicity than photosensitizers directly conjugated to confeito-AuNPs (TCPP-confeito-AuNPs and ZnPc1-confeito-AuNPs) against all breast cancer cell lines tested (MDA-MB-231, MCF7, and 4T1). In the in vivo studies, TCPP-PAMAM-confeito-AuNPs are biocompatible and exhibit a selective tumor accumulation effect, resulting in higher antitumor efficacy than free TCPP, PAMAM-confeito-AuNPs, and TCPP-confeito-AuNPs. In vitro and in vivo evaluations confirm PAMAM effectiveness in facilitating cellular uptake, plasmon-enhanced singlet oxygen and heat generation. In summary, this study highlights the potential of integrating a PAMAM spacer in enhancing the plasmon effect-based photothermal-photodynamic anticancer treatment efficiency of PS-decorated confeito-AuNPs.

Photodynamic inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus using tetraethylene glycol-substituted Zn(II) phthalocyanine.

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections are increasing, especially in intensive care units. A new method for photodynamic inactivation (PDI) generates reactive oxygen species by photosensitization to kill bacteria. We investigated the PDI effect of tetraethylene glycol-substituted Zn(II) phthalocyanine (TEG-P) on S. aureus strains including two standards (ATCC 25923 and ATCC 43400) and 20 clinically isolated methicillin sensitive and 20 methicillin resistance strains. We also investigated three treated groups: 650 nm laser only, TEG-P only and TEG-P + laser, plus one control group. Treatments included 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 µg/ml concentrations of TEG-P. No suppression of bacterial growth was observed in the control, laser only and TEG-P only groups whether or not S. aureus was methicillin resistant. Bacterial growth was suppressed by 85% using 8 µg/ml TEG-P and completely suppressed by 32 µg/ml TEG-P in the TEG-P + laser group. A combination of TEG-P + laser treatment may be an alternative to conventional antibiotics for routine treatment of S. aureus infections, although further investigation of the effect at the tissue level is required.

Alkylthio-tetrasubstituted µ-Nitrido Diiron Phthalocyanines: Spectroelectrochemistry, Electrical Properties, and Heterojunctions for Ammonia Sensing.

Alkylthio-tetrasubstituted µ-nitrido diiron phthalocyanine complexes are synthesized with n-butyl, iso-butyl, tert-butyl, and n-hexadecyl alkyl moieties. For the first time, a spectroelectrochemical investigation of µ-nitrido diiron phthalocyanines is achieved at all the redox steps. The complexes are stable in all their redox states, unlike their unsubstituted analogues. The interest of the present complexes is to prepare sensing devices by a solution processing method. Films are characterized by electronic absorption and Raman spectroscopies. Electrical measurements on resistors show the highly resistive behavior of these complexes, whatever the chain length. However, when combined with the lutetium bisphthalocyanine, an intrinsic semiconductor, these complexes form heterojunctions that exhibit a high sensitivity to ammonia, with a very good signal over noise ratio, at room temperature and under atmospheric conditions.

The unique features and promises of phthalocyanines as advanced photosensitisers for photodynamic therapy of cancer.

Phthalocyanines exhibit superior photoproperties that make them a surely attractive class of photosensitisers for photodynamic therapy of cancer. Several derivatives are at various phases of clinical trials, and efforts have been put continuously to improve their photodynamic efficacy. To this end, various strategies have been applied to develop advanced phthalocyanines with optimised photoproperties, dual therapeutic actions, tumour-targeting properties and/or specific activation at tumour sites. The advantageous properties and potential of phthalocyanines as advanced photosensitisers for photodynamic therapy of cancer are highlighted in this tutorial review.

Phthalocyanine-based mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles: NIR photodynamic efficiency and siRNA photochemical internalization.

Mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (PHT-PMO) have been prepared from an octa-triethoxysilylated Zn phthalocyanine precursor. These PHT-PMO nanoparticles had no dark toxicity but high phototoxicity when irradiated at 650 nm, and remarkable near-infrared phototoxicity when excited at 760 and 810 nm. The PHT-PMO were then aminated to promote electrostatic complexation with siRNA. Transfection experiments were performed upon NIR irradiation and photochemical internalization was very efficient, leading to 65% luciferase extinction in MCF-7 cancer cells expressing stable luciferase.

CO2 electrochemical catalytic reduction with a highly active cobalt phthalocyanine.

Molecular catalysts that combine high product selectivity and high current density for CO2 electrochemical reduction to CO or other chemical feedstocks are urgently needed. While earth-abundant metal-based molecular electrocatalysts with high selectivity for CO2 to CO conversion are known, they are characterized by current densities that are significantly lower than those obtained with solid-state metal materials. Here, we report that a cobalt phthalocyanine bearing a trimethyl ammonium group appended to the phthalocyanine macrocycle is capable of reducing CO2 to CO in water with high activity over a broad pH range from 4 to 14. In a flow cell configuration operating in basic conditions, CO production occurs with excellent selectivity (ca. 95%), and good stability with a maximum partial current density of 165 mA cm-2 (at -0.92 V vs. RHE), matching the most active noble metal-based nanocatalysts. These results represent state-of-the-art performance for electrolytic carbon dioxide reduction by a molecular catalyst.

Surfactant-Free Direct Access to Porphyrin-Cross-Linked Nanogels for Photodynamic and Photothermal Therapy.

Photosensitizing nanogels were obtained through a surfactant-free single-step protocol by using a porphyrin-based cross-linker for stabilizing self-assembled nanosized aggregates of thermoresponsive copolymers. Nanogels with varying amounts of porphyrin retained the singlet oxygen generation ability of the porphyrin core and were also capable of inducing temperature increase upon irradiation at 635 nm. Photoinduced killing efficiency was tested against three cell lines: human breast adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231 and MCF7) and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (AsPC-1) cells, and a predominant photodynamic mechanism at 450 nm and a mixed photodynamic and photothermal effect at 635 nm was observed. This innovative access to photosensitizing nanogels is a proof of concept, and opens new perspectives toward the preparation of optimized nanophotosensitizers.

Effect of the Substitution Pattern (Peripheral vs Non-Peripheral) on the Spectroscopic, Electrochemical, and Magnetic Properties of Octahexylsulfanyl Copper Phthalocyanines.

In order to investigate the substitution position effect on the spectroscopic, electrochemical, and magnetic properties of copper phthalocyanines, a detailed structure-property analysis has been performed by examining two copper phthalocyanines that are octasubstituted by hexylsulfanyl chains respectively in the peripheral (Cu-P) and non-peripheral (Cu-NP) positions. Cu-NP showed a marked near-IR maximum absorption compared to Cu-P and, accordingly, a smaller HOMO-LUMO energy gap, calculated via the electrochemical results and simulations in the gas phase, as well as for Cu-NP from its crystallographic data. An electron-spin resonance (ESR) technique is used to extract the g values from the powder spectra that are taken at room temperature. The g values were determined to be g∥ = 2.160 and g⊥ = 2.045 for Cu-P and g∥ = 2.150 and g⊥ = 2.050 for Cu-NP. These values indicate that the paramagnetic copper center in both phthalocyanines has axial symmetry with a planar anisotropy ( g∥ > g⊥). The ESR spectra in solution could be obtained only for Cu-P. Curie law is used to fit the experimental data of the magnetic susceptibility versus temperature graphs, and the Curie constant ( C) and diamagnetic/temperature-independent paramagnetic (α) contributions are deduced as 0.37598 (0.39576) cm3·K/mol and -23 × 10-5 (25 × 10-5) cm3/mol respectively for Cu-P and Cu-NP. The room temperature magnetic moment value (1.70 µB) is close to the spin-only value (1.73 µB) for the peripheral complex, showing that there is no orbital contribution to µeff. In contrast, at room temperature, the value of the magnetic moment (1.77 µB) is above the spin-only value, showing an orbital contribution to the magnetic moment. Cu-NP's room temperature magnetic moment value is larger than the value for Cu-P, demonstrating that the orbital contribution to the magnetic moment depends upon the substituent position. The magnitudes of the effective magnetic moment values also support that both Cu-P and Cu-NP complexes have square-planar coordination. This result is consistent with the determined g values. The spin densities were determined experimentally, and the results suggest that the positions of the substituents affect these values (0.469 for Cu-P and 0.490 for Cu-NP).

Near-Infrared Activatable Phthalocyanine-Poly-L-Glutamic Acid Conjugate: Enhanced in Vivo Safety and Antitumor Efficacy toward an Effective Photodynamic Cancer Therapy.

We previously developed a new zinc(II) phthalocyanine (ZnPc) derivative (Pc 1) conjugated to poly-L-glutamic acid (PGA) (1-PG) to address the limitations of ZnPc as part of an antitumor photodynamic therapy approach, which include hydrophobicity, phototoxicity, and nonselectivity in biodistribution and tumor targeting. During this study, we discovered that 1-PG possessed high near-infrared (NIR) light absorptivity (λmax = 675 nm), good singlet oxygen generation efficiency in an aqueous environment, and enhanced photocytotoxic efficacy and cancer cell uptake in vitro. In the current study, we discovered that 1-PG accumulated in 4T1 mouse mammary tumors, with a retention time of up to 48 h. Furthermore, as part of an antitumor PDT, low dose 1-PG (2 mg of Pc 1 equivalent/kg) induced a greater tumor volume reduction (-74 ± 5%) when compared to high dose ZnPc (8 mg/kg, -50 ± 12%). At higher treatment doses (8 mg of Pc 1 equivalent/kg), 1-PG reduced tumor volume maximally (-91 ± 6%) and suppressed tumor size to a minimal level for up to 15 days. The kidney, liver, and lungs of the mice treated with 1-PG (both low and high doses) were free from 4T1 tumor metastasis at the end of the study. Telemetry-spectral-echocardiography studies also revealed that PGA (65 mg/kg) produced insignificant changes to the cardiovascular physiology of Wistar-Kyoto rats when administered in vivo. Results indicate that PGA displays an excellent cardiovascular safety profile, underlining its suitability for application as a nanodrug carrier in vivo. These current findings indicate the potential of 1-PG as a useful photosensitizer candidate for clinical PDT.

Porphyrin- or phthalocyanine-bridged silsesquioxane nanoparticles for two-photon photodynamic therapy or photoacoustic imaging.

Porphyrin- or phthalocyanine-bridged silsesquioxane nanoparticles (BSPOR and BSPHT) were prepared. Their endocytosis in MCF-7 cancer cells was shown with two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) imaging. With two-photon excited photodynamic therapy (TPE-PDT), BSPOR was more phototoxic than BSPHT, which in contrast displayed a very high signal for photoacoustic imaging in mice.

Structure-Photoproperties Relationship Investigation of the Singlet Oxygen Formation in Porphyrin-Fullerene Dyads.

A systematic structure-photoproperties relationship study of the interactions of porphyrin-fullerene dyads with molecular oxygen was conducted on a set of three porphyrin-fullerene dyads, as this approach of related applications - oxygen sensitivity and photo-induced singlet oxygen generation - of such dyads remained to be endeavoured. To promote energy transfers between the porphyrin and fullerene units and limit undesired charge separation, a particular attention was devoted to the choice of the solvents for the photoproperties determination. Toluene, in which in addition the compounds investigated are not aggregated, was selected accordingly. The molecular orbital levels and energy gaps of the dyads were determined by electrochemistry and theoretical calculations. Their ground state absorption, steady-state fluorescence-based oxygen sensitivity and photo-induced singlet oxygen generation were determined. The dyads were designed to benefit from a facilitated synthetic porphyrin-fullerene coupling thanks to an easy access to formyl-functionalized porphyrins. The effect of two structural parameters was investigated: the presence of electron-donating hexyloxy chains at the para position of the meso-phenyl, and the presence of a phenylacetylene spacer. This latest factor appeared to have the most predominant effect on all these properties.